‘Why We Read Jane Austen’

Britain's literary tradition of fine writers has left a legacy rich in classic storytelling with timeless characters that have become common names. Marley's ghost makes an annual appearance at Christmastime, thanks to the genius of the Charles Dickens classic A Christmas Carol. Published in 1843, Dickens’ characters and story line continue to delight and inspire readers the world over. To followers of an even earlier author, Jane Austen, Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy are as familiar as Ebenezer Scrooge and the gang.

Pride and Prejudice, published in 1813, is considered Austen's masterpiece and is where the esteemed Elizabeth and Darcy live—forever, it seems. Its famous opening line, “A truth universally acknowledged,” sets the stage for the story and one of the most endearing courtships in literary history. The noted passage is also the title of a newly published study on why Austen's appeal endures almost 200 years later.

Edited by Susannah Carson, A Truth Universally Acknowledged: 33 Great Writers On Why We Read JaneAusten (Random House) fulfills the promise of its title. The great writers are mainly 20th-century authors and literary critics such as J.B. Priestley and E.M. Forster. C.S. Lewis weighs in as well, contrasting the author's talent for comedy “which approximates to burlesque” with her adept treatment in conveying the depths of despair her heroines endure.

The commentary ranges over wide territory. Novelist Louis Auchincloss references the common criticism that Austen wrote six novels during the Napoleonic wars and never mentioned Napoleon's name. He quickly points out that she had spoken of this herself and regretted that she had not used the emperor to provide artistic contrast. Virginia Woolf ponders Austen's career if she had lived a longer life. Austen was 41 when she died.

Carson's book is an excellent starting point for the dilettante Austen reader and provides further insights for the veteran devotee.